Flora Reinhold: The City of Silver
by EmeraldWings1992
Summary: An escape from jail. A breaking and entering into Layton's office. Alfendi being kidnapped. Those three events are what throw Flora and Eric into a new adventure as they race against an old foe to find the secrets of the fabled City of Silver. Second of the trilogy, set ten years after City of Bronze.
1. Bad News

**A/N:** Hi everyone! Wow, it seems like it's been quite a bit since I've updated when going by my usual track record, huh?

Well, here it is, the next installment in the _Flora Reinhold_ series, as I call it, the sequel to _Flora Reinhold: The City of Bronze._

This chapter recaps two major events in the characters' lives from other stories I've written ( _Professor Layton and the Seer_ and _Professor Layton and the Venrin Band_ ). _Seer_ is about the professor and Flora meeting Alfendi, and _Venrin Band_ is an adventure that happened just seven months previous of this. That one is a _Danny Phantom_ crossover, so I don't expect everyone to be interested, but there was a major change in Flora and Eric's relationship.

 _City of Silver_ is ten years after _City of Bronze_ , so Flora and Eric are 24. Alfendi is 14.

Well, enough talk from me. Onward!

…

Chapter One: Bad News

 _Ten Years Ago_

The professor and I stood in the small, almost dingy room of the Monte d'Or Orphanage, a young boy sitting on the bed. I had come to know him as Alfendi Smith, and he had been a large help in the professor's and I's last investigation. Through a series of unfortunate events, though, the young boy of only four years old had become an orphan. He was smart, though a little off balance, and both the professor and I wanted to help him.

"First and foremost, my boy, you are nothing like that man. Secondly, you saved my life," Professor Layton said in rebuttal to Alfendi's argument.

"I shot your shoulder," the boy replied, and I shivered, remembering how we found the professor, and glancing at the sling in which his left arm currently resided.

"A complete accident," the professor reminded him.

"But—" Alfendi tried again. His arguments felt half-hearted, as though he didn't want to argue, but felt he should. The professor cut him off.

"Alfendi," he started softly. "I will not force you to allow me to adopt you, but I would very much like to do so. And I can teach you, and give you space to allow your mind to grow," he offered. Alfendi studied the professor, really considering the options laid out before him. He closed his eyes for a moment, before a small smile crossed his face, and he opened his eyes again.

"Alright. Thank you… Father."

…

 _Seven Months Ago_

I moved quietly around the kitchen of the house we were staying in, making a kettle of tea. We had found Luke, safe and sound, but one of the people helping us, Danny, had been taken within five minutes of finding Luke.

It wasn't fair.

"Hey… you okay?" an all too familiar voice asked from the entrance of the kitchen. Turning, I spotted the last person I wanted to talk to.

Eric Shiner.

Eric was confusing. I thought I had seen a different… more likable side of him in Seacreast, but it disappeared as soon as we returned to London. Now, he was in this small town, helping us with our investigation, and being irritatingly confident again.

Although… since he started helping, he was more like the Eric from Seacreast…

"I… yeah, I'm okay," I said, turning back to the kettle. I felt Eric move closer, until he was standing next to me.

"Luke is safe, and we'll find and save Danny, don't worry," he said in a cocky tone, a confident smirk playing across his face.

I couldn't handle it anymore. I snapped, and slammed the kettle down onto the stove. Thankfully, it was a metal one.

"Will you stop being so confident!? For just once!?" I demanded. Eric lurched back slightly from me, his eyes wide with shock, before he looked down. His confidence cracked.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I didn't realize it annoyed you so much." I sighed, regretting my snap.

"No. I shouldn't get mad at you for your confidence. It's not fair. I just… sometimes, it's a little too much, you know? Especially when…" I trailed off, looking back at the kettle. _Especially when the world seems to be falling apart. Especially when I don't know what to think of you._

 _Especially when I miss the Eric from Seacreast._

"Flora…" he sounded hesitant. As though he was about to divulge a deep secret of his. "I'm not really that confident…"

"What?" I asked, looking up at him in confusion. His eyes were lowered, his shoulders hunched slightly, his arms crossed. I recognized the look and body language anywhere. He was closing himself off slightly, for fear of his real self being judged.

He was… shy.

"I'm… acting so confident is how I get through being scared, or shy," Eric explained, leaning against the counter next to me, never lifting his eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked softly.

"Well, growing up, I was always a step behind Luke, or in the shadow of my father. I've always been kind of scared that I wouldn't make a name for myself." He laughed slightly, a humorless sound. "Even now, Luke's discovered more about the Venrin in a week, with almost no sources or help, then I have in two months." He shook his head. "As for the shyness? I'm painfully shy. My confidence isn't my real personality…"

"What is?" I asked, again, my voice soft.

"Well…" Eric bit his lip, finally looking up at me. "I do love archeology, that part's not an act, and I have grown to love boxing, but… I also love animals, especially dogs. And reading… and cooking, heh." He rubbed the back of his head before looking away with a small blush, and I smiled.

 _This. This is the true Eric…_

"I like dogs and cooking, too," I said softly. "And, obviously, reading and writing," I added, laughing. _Have to if I got a degree in creative writing!_

Eric smiled at me, and I looked down, my heart doing a back flip in my chest.

"What are you most scared of?" Eric suddenly asked, taking my hand. I gasped softly at the heat of his skin against mine, and the fire that seemed to spiral up my arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps under the sleeves of my pink blouse.

"Um… being alone…" I finally admitted. He nodded.

""I'm afraid that I'll never be successful," Eric admitted, and my heart went out to him.

"Oh… Eric, you'll be successful one day. You're still young though," I said, smiling warmly at him. He chuckled, studying my face.

"You… I…" he hesitated, seeming to be suffering from a bout of shyness. "I read your book, by the way. _The Curious Village_. It was really good. Very captivating," he said, talking about the book I recently had published. I changed a lot, but kept the core story the same as the adventure in which I first met the professor and Luke, publishing it as fiction.

"Um… thank you," I said, looking down at our joined hands. Silence filled the room for a moment.

"Flora… would you… when we get back to London… do you want to go out on a date with me?" Eric suddenly asked. I looked up again, my eyes widening in surprise. This was different from the other times he'd asked me. This time, it wasn't shameless flirting through a false confidence.

This time, it was sincere, from the heart.

"I…" I hesitated.

"Flora, my dear?" Professor Layton called, stepping into the kitchen. I never got to answer.

…

 _Six Months Ago_

I bustled around the small kitchen, washing dishes and putting them away after tea with the professor, Alfendi, Luke and his girlfriend, Pearl Fey, and Eric. A small sigh found its way out of me.

"Those sandwiches were very tasty, Flora," a voice from behind said, causing me to jump and turn. Eric was standing in the doorway, watching me.

"Ah, Eric! Oh, um, thank you. Ever since… Alfendi told me my cooking could poison a nightshade plant, I've been actually learning recipes," I admitted, blushing. After all, Eric and Luke were close friend, so it wouldn't surprise me if Luke told him about my kitchen disasters, even if he never told me…

"Alfendi told you that? Weren't you living with the professor and all way before Alfendi came into the picture?" Eric asked, and I huffed, turning to the sink again.

"The professor and Luke were too nice," I said, before sighing. "But then, I guess a true gentleman never tells a lady that her cooking stinks," I said. Eric snorted at my working before coming closer to help with the dishes. Suddenly self conscious, I pushed a wayward curl of hair behind my ear, attempting to contain my blush. Ever since our conversation a month ago, I hadn't really been able to stop thinking about Eric. We were quiet for a few moments while we work.

 _If one of us doesn't say something, I'm going to go crazy!_

"So, I bought your newest book," Eric suddenly said.

"Did you?" I was surprised. "But it was just released yesterday!" I laughed. Eric blushed with a shrug before taking the plate I just finished washing, drying it and putting it away.

"Yes, well… it just sounded so interesting!" he said with a grin. "I mean, _The Diabolical Box?_ I can't wait to see what it's about," he said.

"You know… that and _The Curious Village_ actually happened," I admitted. "Or, at least, they're very closely based off of true events."

"Really? Then I guess Rose is actually… you?" he asked. I blushed, only slightly surprise he got it right.

"Wh-what would give you that idea?" I demanded.

"Just a hunch," he replied with a wink. I huffed at him, rolled my eyes, and turned to put a glass away. Unfortunately, Eric reached for it at the same time, and we ran into each other, my falling into his chest.

"Whoa here, are you okay?" Eric asked, wrapping his arms around me to steady me. I looked up at his face, only to notice how close we were to each other.

"Um… y-yes…" I muttered. Eric blushed too, and I was trapped in his dark brown eyes, unable to look away.

"You… never actually answered my question from a month ago…" Eric suddenly muttered, not letting me go.

"I… I didn't? What question?" I asked, blushing because I already know what question.

"Flora… will you go out with me? On a date?" Eric asked. I bit my lip, partially wondering what the professor and Alfendi would think, before realizing I didn't particularly care.

"I… yes, Eric, I would love that, actually."

…

 _Present Time_

" _Rose sat a few seats behind her father and his assistant on the public bus, listening as the two discussed their latest mystery._

' _It just seems impossible that we would receive a letter… from my future self!' Tony, the assistant, said, studying the letter in his hands._

' _It is a bit hard to believe,' the man, Professor Gordon, agreed. 'If I didn't know better, my boy, I would say this was one elaborate joke,' the professor laughed._

' _Definitely not after that time machine exploded last week… taking the scientist and Prime Minister with it…' Tony said solemnly, and the professor fell quiet, thinking about the accident._

 _Finally, the bus pulled up to a stop, and the professor and Tony stood. Rose quickly followed them off the bus and into a small ally way, where they came to a dead end in the form of a small, quant clock shop._

' _Here we are. Once we step inside, this adventure will truly begin. Are you ready, my boy?' Professor Gordon asked, looking down at his assistant, who adjusted his red newsboy cap._

' _Yes, Professor! Let's get started!'"_

I lowered the book, looking up at my audience with a smile. "And that's all I'm going to read today. You can read the rest for yourself!" I said. Everyone clapped, and a line started to form in front of the table I sat at, in the back of my favorite bookstore.

"I can't believe it's only been six months since _Diabolical Box_ was released! How'd you get them out so fast?" a woman asked. I smiled.

"I actually wrote these while I was in college, so the space between is just the editing and rewriting process," I explained, signing her book.

"Oh! Okay. Well, I can't wait to start reading _Untold Future!_ " she said, hurrying off with the book. A warm glow flowed through me, filling me with confidence. I loved making readers happy with my work.

More people asked me questions as I wrote little notes in the front of their books before signing it. It was a lot of fun, and I was almost sad to see the line start dwindling.

"So, who should I make this out—Inspector Chelemy!" I gasped, looking up at the tall, broad figure who stepped up to my table.

"Miss. Flora. I need to talk to you," he said, and I could see that his mustache was turned down in a frown. I glanced around.

"Um…"

"It's important," the inspector pressed.

"Alright, hold on," I said, standing and tuning to the rest of the people waiting to meet me. "I'm going to take a fifteen minute break guys. I'll be right back!" I called, before following the inspector into the back of the store. He looked around, before sighing softly.

"Miss. Flora… I'm sure you remember Roma Hertz?" he asked. I frowned deeply at the name.

Roma Hertz. I met her about ten years ago, in Seacreast. She had been posing as a governess to the mayor's children, but in reality, she was an archeologist and a psychologist, in search for the City of Bronze, and the Chalice of Youth it contained.

However, after almost killing both me and Eric, she had been arrested, and the two of us decided to cease our search for the Cities of Silver and Gold. After all, it would be better for those two to disappear into the pages of history as myth.

"What about Hertz?" I asked?

"She escaped last night," the inspector said grimly. "And the Chalice of Youth is missing, too."

…

 **A/N:** For those of you who read _Seer_ and _Venrin_ , sorry about the recaps. Those of you who didn't, hopefully this will make you want to!

Also, jail. Heretz being in jail was one of the main reasons for such a long time gap between the first one and this story.

Well, enjoy!


	2. More Bad News

**A/N:** Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, but a few more things before-hand!

One, I am collaborating with other Ace Attorney fans to write Investigations 3! It's going to be EPIC, and while I'm only a special beta (Logic Chess/Magatama segments), I still had a hand in the planning stage. You should go check it out! It's under PierceTheVeils, and called Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: End of an Era. Prologue is already up!

Second: Review Replies!

 **Gamergirl:** It has! I'm glad you like the flashbacks. I was worried about them to be honest, hehe. I realize that it might seem like Flora being a writer might have been inspired by my own writing, but that's actually not the case. Because she was a Rapunzel character, essentially, and I just connect modern Rapunzel characters to being huge bookworms, I gave her that aspect of her character. Then I was trying to figure out what she would do for her career. Being on the police force, or being an archaeologist just… didn't fit with her character, I felt, but I still saw her as being interested in mysteries and solving them, which lead me to her being a mystery writer! Yeah, Hertz is going to give them a lot of trouble this time!

Mosinnia is one of the locations in _Azran Legacy_ , the one with all of the kids.

Okay, that's all! Here we go!

…

Chapter Two: More Bad News

Inspector Chelemy escorted me back to Gressensheller University. I looked at my watch, only to see that Eric would still be in class. I mentioned this to the Inspector.

"Well, you two are probably in the most danger from Hertz. Do you know where his class is?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, this way," I said, leading him through the hallowed halls. Vague voices of professors and students could be heard through the various doors we walked past, until I stopped in front of one, where a very familiar voice could be heard drifting through the wood.

"This it?" the inspector asked. I nodded again, and he glanced in the window. "Why is Shiner up front, like he's teaching?" he asked.

"Because he is. He's covering for Professor Layton, who's on Sabbatical in Mosinnia," I explained. "Eric's working on his professorship, and covering for another professor is part of that."

"Oh," Chelemy grumbled, falling silent. After a few more minutes, the door opened, and students flooded out. Once it slowed to a trickle, the inspector and I slipped in. Eric was finishing packing his stuff in a trunk, talking to a few of the students, when he noticed me.

"Flora!" he said happily, coming over and giving me a hug, kissing my forehead. I smiled warmly up at him.

"Hello, Eric," I said. The students smiled at that, before noticing the inspector and slipping out. Eric noticed him too and moved so that he was standing beside me, his arm draped over my shoulders.

"Inspector Chelemy? Is everything okay?" he asked.

"No. Roma Hertz escaped from prison," the inspector said. Eric's hand tightened on my shoulder.

"Wh-what?" he gasped.

"And she stole the Chalice from the museum," I added. Eric closed his eyes for a moment, breathing out heavily through his nose. From how tight his arm was around me, I knew he was remembering the events of ten years ago, just as I had.

"What does this mean…?" Eric asked softly.

"It means you will go into protective custody," the inspector said.

"It means she's going after the City of Silver," I said at the same time. We looked at each other.

"Protective custody?" Eric asked.

"Yes. You two foiled her plan last time. Who's to say she won't seek revenge?" Inspector Chelemy said. I sighed softly.

"You're right," I said. "Where will we be staying?" I asked.

"Do you still live at Layton's?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then there."

"Alright. I have to stop by the office first to get some things, though," Eric said. We nodded, following him out of the classroom and through the halls, stopping in front of a door with a top hat insignia. Eric reached into his pocket for the keys, when I noticed something.

"Wait!" I said, catching his wrist.

"What?" Eric asked.

"Bloody hell… the lock's broken!" the inspector gasped, before reaching in front of us, using his arm to gently push us back and behind him. "Stay behind me," he said, before pushing the door open quickly and moving forward, a hand on the side arm he had at his side. He looked around, before sighing.

"It's all clear," he said, looking back at us. We walked in, and I gasped.

Professor Layton's office was trashed. Books and papers were scattered all over the floor, along with priceless, shattered artifacts. Eric, probably knowing the value of all of the artifacts in this office, gasped, dropping to one knee and carefully picking up a piece of stone.

"What… who…?" he muttered.

"Hertz. Who else?" I said, going over and wrapping my arms around Eric. A horrible thought fought its way into my mind. _What if he had been here when she broke in? What if_ the professor _had been here!?_

"I don't see the book of hypnotic songs anywhere," Eric said. I sighed.

"That must have been what she was looking for," I said.

"So, she's essentially armed again," the inspector sighed.

"Right," I said.

"Flora…" Eric suddenly said.

"Hm?"

"Is there… something missing from the desk?" he asked. I looked over and gasped.

The professor always kept six pictures on his desk. One of his parents, one of his old love, Claire, one of Luke and his family, one of Eric and myself, one of myself, Alfendi, and the professor… and one of just Alfendi, right after he won his first fencing tournament.

One was missing. The one of Alfendi. I darted over, quickly searching the desk and the floor around it.

"The picture of Alfendi… it's missing," I said, my chest starting to feel tight. "Why would she take a picture of—" I cut off, suddenly jumping to my feet.

"We need to get to his school," I said. Inspector Chelemy's eyes widened, and he nodded.

"Come on!" he said, leading the way out of the building and to his car.

…

"Alfendi never went back to class after lunch. We were just notified," the secretary said. The world around me seemed to tip, my breath catching in my throat. Eric's arms wrapped around me.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Reinhold."

"Did you notice any suspicious characters around the school today?" the inspector asked.

"Now that you mention it… there was a woman in the parking lot, around lunch time, before she suddenly vanished."

"Hertz…" I said, my voice faint. Inspector Chelemy scowled.

"Thank you," he said to the secretary, before leading us out and back into the car. Eric wrapped his arms tightly around me as we sat in the backseat, pulling my face into his shoulder and rubbing my back comfortingly. I could only think of one thing.

 _Alfendi… Alfendi is missing…_

…

 **A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter! Sorry for how short it is, but I promise, it's all set up!


	3. The Letter

**A/N:** I now have a PlayStation 4. Sooooo… that explains why I didn't update this yesterday. No worries, though, I won't let it (fully) distract me! Though… I do have to beat _Uncharted 4_ before _Ace Attorney 6_ comes out…

ANYWAYS!

Thanks to Wolfiered23 for helping me decide on Eric's pet name for Flora!

 **Review Reply to Gamergirl:** It started out a good day, buuuuut… things went south rather quickly, heh. Here comes the mystery!

Nothing else to say. Onwards!

…

Chapter Three: The Letter

The police took us back to the professor's flat and placed us under protective custody. That consisted of a few officers milling around the building, or sitting in their car, watching the door. We weren't allowed to leave without one of them. I moved almost robotically around the professor's flat, making tea for myself and Eric, my mind a whirl of thoughts.

 _Alfendi... What if he… the professor left him in my care… how could I let this happen? Was I just… too neglectful? Too… wrapped up in my own career? Oh my gosh, what's if she hurts—_

 **CRASH!**

"Flora!?"

I was kneeling on the ground, shakily trying to pick up the pieces of Professor Layton's china teapot, when Eric came in.

"Flora. Stop," Eric said, kneeling next to me and catching my hands, pulling them away from the sharp glass and hot liquid.

"Th-the teapot… the professor's teapot…" I looked up at him, my vision blurred by tears. "I… I have to fix it. I already lost Alfendi… if he sees the teapot—" my voice was growing more and more shrill with each word, until suddenly, I was being held tight against Eric's chest, his heartbeat audible in my ear.

"Shhh…. Shhh, my Flower," he cooed, using his pet name for me. "The professor's not going to care about a dumb teapot," Eric said, rocking my back and forth. More sobs escaped me, shaking my body hard, and I buried my face into his chest, all my self-doubt and worry flowing out with the tears. Eric simply rocked me, rubbing my back and muttering soothingly until my sobs slowed.

"What happened to Alfendi is _not_ your fault," Eric said sternly.

"I… I was responsible for him…" I muttered. "And… and Hertz is _our_ enemy, not his…" I argued. Eric was quiet for a moment, snuggling his face into my hair.

"Flora. Did you blame the Professor when Don Paolo kidnapped you in Dropstone?" he asked.

"Of course not!" I gasped. "He had no idea it was going to happen. How could he prepare for it? Besides, Don Paolo was using me to further his plan, not anything against myse…" I trailed off, suddenly realizing what I was saying. "Oh."

"'Oh' is right," Eric said with a small smile. I sighed, resting my ear against his chest, right over his heart, listening to his steady heartbeat.

"Eric?" I said after a few minutes.

"Yes, my Flower?" he asked, running his fingers through my ponytail.

"Do you… do you think Alfendi will be okay?" I asked softly. His arms tightened around me.

"Yes. He's strong," Eric said, kissing the top of my head.

"What if he was hypnotized…?" My voice was tiny as I asked.

"He might not be able to be hypnotized," he countered. I sighed softly.

"I hope so…" I muttered, resting against him again.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Eric kissed the top of my head and stood.

"Leave the mess. I'll get it when I come back," he said.

"But..."

"Just try to relax, okay, my Flower?" he said, gently pulling me up and over to a chair. I sighed, letting him make me sit. There was another knock on the door.

"Coming!" he called, giving my hand a squeeze before walking into the foyer and answering the door. There was some talking, before Eric came back, holding an envelope.

"What's that?" I asked.

"A letter. The officer said a courier delivered, and they inspected it, but… it's blank," Eric explained. My eyebrows drew together.

"Blank?" I asked.

"Yeah. And look at the front." He held it up. In blocky, bold handwriting, was the word **'FLOS'**.

"Flos… Flos… where have I heard that…" I muttered, my arms crossed in thought. Focusing on the puzzle was helping me keep my mind clear. I thought through all the possible meanings, feeling that it should be something I would know, when I suddenly realized what it was.

"Wait a minute!" I gasped, snatching the envelop. "'Flos' means 'flower' in Latin!" I said. "This letter is for me!"

"But who would send you a blank sheet of paper under a coded address?" Eric asked.

"What if it's not blank, but just _appears_ to be so," I said, pulling out the paper. I ran my fingers over the smooth surface, feeling little indents.

"What do you mean, my Flower?" Eric asked, coming over to study the paper. I shook my head, standing quickly and walking over to the cabinet, where I knew there to be food dye.

"I think the sender didn't want anyone but me to see the contents of his letter," I explained, pulling down a bowl and mixing some of the dye with some water. I quickly carried it over to the paper, which I put on a plate, and carefully dropped some of the colored water on the paper.

The paper itself turned blue, the color of the dye, causing white letters to appear. Eric gasped at that.

"Amazing…" he muttered. I smiled slightly, carefully doing this to the rest of the paper. Soon, the entire message could be read.

"' _Where the silver first grows,_

 _That's where we shall go,'"_ Eric read out loud, before fingering his chin thoughtfully. "'Where the silver first grows'…" he muttered.

"The place it was first discovered," I said, studying the scrawling handwriting of the letter.

"Why, that would be Caneopa, to the far east of Europe," Eric said. "But… who sent this letter?"

"Isn't it obvious, Eric?" I asked with a grin. He looked at me in confusion. "Who else would know that I would recognize a Latin word, _and_ know how to read an 'invisible' letter?" I asked.

"The professor?" he asked.

"Nope," I said, my smile growing. Eric looked thoughtful, glancing around, until his eyes landing on a picture of Alfendi and I together just before a school dance, hanging on the fridge. He gasped.

"Alfendi!"

"Right! This is his handwriting, and he's the one who taught me that trick," I said, motioning to the now blue, visible letter. "This is a clue that he somehow got to a courier. That means he's _okay_ , Eric! And… he knows I'm going to help him," I added, more serious. Eric sighed, and I thought he was about to argue, try to get me to stay.

"I think you mean that _we_ are going to help him," he said, and I sagged slightly in relief before throwing my arms around him in a hug.

"Thank you!" I said, kissing his cheek. He laughed at that.

"Don't mention it, though I wouldn't mind another kiss. This time on the lips, my Flower," he said with a grin. I let him go with a huff, turning away.

"It's very un-gentleman like to ask," I said in my best snobbish voice, causing him to laugh more. He then sighed, a serious sound. I turned back to him, wondering what the issue was now. "What?"

"How are we going to get out of here and away from the officers?" he asked. I smiled mischievously.

"That's an easy one. We sneak out."

…

 **A/N:** Tada! Sorry about the wait for this chapter. Now that Flora has a plan of action, she's able to focus. Caneopa, here we come!


	4. Caneopa

**A/N:** Hey everyone. I'm sorry for how long this chapter took to get updated! Between working on 'Apollo Gramarye,' work, and school, I've been swamped.

Good news is, here's another chapter!

 **Review Reply to Gordon:** I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for reading, and the encouragement!

Well, here we go!

…

Chapter Four: Caneopa

Sneaking out of the professor's flat, and onto a train heading east, was a lot easier then it really should have been. That was about a week ago. My pen danced across the page in front of me as I wrote down everything I knew about the mystery before us. Eric, meanwhile, was dozing in the seat next to me, his head on my shoulder.

"Next stop – Caneopa!" the train conductor called as he walked through the hall outside our compartment. I smiled slightly at that, putting my notes away and gently shaking Eric awake.

"Wazzup?" he muttered, sitting up and blinking blearily.

"We're almost here," I said softly.

"Mphm…" he huffed, but sat up all the same. I smiled, watching him rub his eyes, before stretching, a wide yawn forcing his jaw wide open.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," I teased with a giggle. He huffed again, and I grinned, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. "Come on, you. Let's get out stuff together," I said. He nodded with a smile.

By the time we got all of our stuff repacked and ready, the train was slowing to a stop at an indoor station. We quickly dismounted and were immediately thrust into the hustle and bustle of a packed platform. Eric caught my hand before we could be separated, knowing my feelings about being left alone, especially in a strange place, and we immediately made our way to the exit. A gasp caught in both of our throats as we left the building.

Caneopa was beautiful. If circumstances had been better, I would have loved the chance to explore the city with Eric.

It was large and sprawling, full of tall, beautiful buildings mixed with shorter ones, set against a backdrop of mountains. The architecture of the buildings were works of spiraling, intricate art, and everywhere we looked shimmered with the color of pure silver.

It was also packed. Along the main road were booths and vendors, selling all kinds of goods from jewelry, to handmade crafts, to kid's toys, to food. People milled from booth to booth in a pulsating mass, though almost everyone seemed to be headed in the same direction, towards the center of town.

"What's going on?" I breathed.

"I don't know. Why don't we ask?" Eric suggested, and I nodded, moving forward with him.

"Excuse me," I said at one of the booths.

"Yes, Ma'am? Would you like one of our silver charm bracelets? I have the perfect one for you!" the woman said, diving for something at the other end of the table.

"Er, no. I was just… well, I just wanted to now what was going on," I explained, motioning to the crowd.

"What's…? Oh! You must mean the festival. Are you tourists?" she asked. Both Eric and I nodded, and the woman grinned.

"Well, this is the Silver Festival! You're in luck! The next one won't be for another ten years," the woman explained.

"Every ten years?" Eric asked, but I gasped softly.

"That's right!" I suddenly said, looking at the woman. "This is for the City of Silver, isn't it?" I asked.

"Correct!" the woman said, pointing at me. "After all, it's not in every city that a legendary city rests just beneath the surface of your lake," she said.

"The lake?" Eric asked. I nodded.

"That's right! And it's only accessible every ten years, so the legends say," I explained.

"Oh… that would explain it then," he said. I nodded in excitement.

"It really would!"

"But… and this is something we still don't know," Eric started slowly. "What is Hertz after? What's in the City of Silver?"

"Erm…" I hummed, cupping my chin.

"If someone is looking to steal something from the City of Silver, the only real thing of value is the Staff of Wisdom," an aged voice said from behind us. We turned to see an older woman, hunched forward and leaning heavily on a cane.

"The Staff of Wisdom?" Eric asked.

"Mmhmm…" she hummed. "It is said to grant the older immeasurable wisdom," she explained.

"So, first the Chalice of Youth, said to grant the drinker immortality, now the Staff of Wisdom," I said, quickly noting this down in my journal. I then looked up at Eric. "Sounds like the second key to the City of Gold."

"Yeah," he nodded, before looking up at the women. "You wouldn't have happened to see a tall, skinny woman with black hair and a tall, teenage guy with wild, red hair, have you?" he asked, talking about Hertz and Alfendi.

"I haven't. Friends of yours?" the merchant said.

"Something like that," I said solemnly.

"Well, I don't know about the woman, but would the guy have had newspapers in his pockets?" the older woman asked. I gasped.

"Yes! That's Alfendi!" I said.

"I saw him heading towards the center of town," she said. I grinned. I could have hugged this woman, but settled instead for grabbing Eric's hand.

"Thank you so much!" I said, dragging him along. I heard Eric chuckle softly behind me, but didn't glance back. Along the way, we asked again and again about the tall woman and red head, and each answer, if the person did see them, pointed us towards the center of the city.

"Whoa…" Eric breathed once we finally reached the center. It was a large courtyard, the road encircling a large, grassy area. In the center was a large lake, the water a perfect mirror of the sky above.

There was no sign of Hertz or Alfendi amongst the bustling people though.

A little girl suddenly ran up to us. "Hey, are you two the ones looking for a woman and a red head kid?" she asked.

"Yes, why?" I asked, crouching down to her height. She suddenly grabbed both of our hands and started dragging us down a side road.

"You have to come with me!" she said brightly. Eric and I glanced at each other, but allowed ourselves to be lead. The little girl took us to an inn that had a bright blue door.

"Welcome to the Blue Door Inn!" she said, letting us go and opening the door. "My Pappy owns it. And he has something for you!"

"Something for us…?" Eric asked.

"Mhm. Go talk to him!" she said, pointing towards a desk. I looked around and noticed movement from a curtain behind the desk.

"Ah… sir?" I called. A slightly eccentric, older man, looked out.

"Eh? Ruthy, is that you?" he called.

"Here, Pappy! I bought that boy's friends!" the little girl, Ruthy, called, skipping forward. "They were even _asking_ about him! Don't they look like those two from the picture!?"

"Hrm… they do," the man mused, before motioning us closer. "The name's Burly."

"I'm Flora, and this is Eric. You know something about my brother? About Alfendi?" I asked. Alfendi might not have truly been my brother, but blood or legal means, but he was close enough. Burly hummed again, taking out a crumpled, newspaper clipping, and studying our faces, comparing it. I glanced at it, noticing it was the picture of Eric and me in Seacreast from ten years ago.

 _How old are the papers Alfendi carries around…?_ I wondered.

""Welp, good enough for me!" Burly said, barking out a laugh. "After all, anyone's better then no one."

"For what…?" I asked, unsure.

"Why, to save that little boy, after all!" the man said with a scoff. He reached under the desk and pulled out a blank envelope. "He left this hear. Said to give it to the two that matched the kids in this picture, or a gentlemanly fellow with kind eyes in a top hat. You're the first to show up," he said. I smiled warmly, taking the envelope.

"Thank you," I said. He nodded as I opened the envelope, only to find another blank piece of paper. I brushed my fingers over it, and sighed.

"Could I… use your kitchen?" I asked.

"Sure! Ruthy?" he said, looking at the young girl.

"Right!" she said brightly, leading us into the back.

After a few minutes later, a red, soaked paper sat before us, white words scrawled across it. I read it out loud.

"' _Dive down deep,_

 _And only death shall keep._

 _Instead to the west,_

 _To the mountains, continued your quest.'"_

"What does it mean?" Eric asked as I mulled over the words in my head. I finally sighed.

"It means anyone who tries to reach the City of Silver by the lake are doomed to fail – to drown," I explained. "Instead, our next step is the mountains."

…

 **A/N:** Another chapter done! Hurrah!


	5. A Minor Setback

**A/N:** Another chapter! Yay! Things really pick up here, and more questions appear then answers. Hope you're ready!

…

Chapter Five: A Minor Setback

The mountains surrounding Caneopa were beautiful. They were also vast, and it would have only been too easy to get lost. Thankfully, Ruthy thought to give us a map of the area.

"Are you sure we picked the right path, my Flower?" Eric asked as we steadily made our way up a sloped, narrow track.

"Honestly, not really," I admitted, glancing down at the map again. "But I'm sure those footprints in the mud at the bottom were about Alfendi's shoe size. And…"

"And they looked deliberate," Eric asked, before sighing, running a hand through his hair. "I can't help but wonder how he's leaving all these clues for us. Wouldn't Hertz notice?" he pointed out. I stopped, my eyes wide at the question.

"She… should. I mean, Al's clever, but…" I trailed off.

"But if he's under constant surveillance…" Eric hesitated a moment. "Think it's a trap?"

"I… I don't know. That was definitely his hand writing on those two notes, and I doubt he'd let the 'invisible ink' trick be known…" I reasoned.

"Unless he was hypnotized."

"Right," I sighed, starting forward again. Eric fell quiet as he walked alongside me, though he took my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. The two of us stayed quiet for a while, until we reached a large ravine.

We stood on one cliff, the other about forty meters away, spanned only by an old, rickety bridge. The drop below was many kilometers deep, with only a thin ribbon of blue snaking its way between the two cliffs.

"We have to cross that, don't we?" Eric asked.

"Probably," I sighed.

"How far behind Hertz and Alfendi do you think we are?" Eric asked.

"Probably only a few hours, Remember, the mud around that footprint was only just drying," I replied.

"That's true…" he said.

 _And hopefully, Al's struggling, which means they're slowed down compared to us…_ I thought.

"Well… If they crossed it, so can we," I said with a determined nod. Eric smiled.

"That's the spirit. Ladies first?" he asked. I chuckled, walking forward, carefully stepping onto the old wood. I felt the bridge dip as Eric joined me, only a few steps behind. I gripped the ropes tightly to keep my balance, and we carefully made our way across.

Just as we reached the middle of the bridge, everything went wrong.

"Well, well, I didn't expect you to catch up to us so soon," an all too familiar, and dreaded voice said from behind. We turned to see Roma Hertz standing behind us, just on the edge of the cliff, right in front of the bridge. I quickly looked around and spotted who I was looking for.

"Alfendi!" I cried. He slowly lifted his head, his crimson bangs falling away from his eyes, and I grew cold.

The look on his face was that of total concentration. Suddenly, I was thrown back to ten years ago.

" _Eric!" I called, sprinting after him, surprised to catch up in a matter of minutes. He was just steadily walking along the road, making a beeline… towards the forest. I grabbed his arm._

" _Eric, wait a minute!" I called. He hardly seemed to notice me, so I dug my feet in. "Eric, stop!" Unfortunately, he was stronger then me, and he managed to pull away. My heart was going wild in my chest, and I quickly placed myself in front of him. One look into his face made the words die on my lips._

 _Like Johnny, the only expressions on Eric's face was that of total concentration._

I was stunned, frozen. Alfendi simply looked at me, his gold eyes full of focus, and nothing else.

Roma Hertz had hypnotized Alfendi. All those clues were a trap.

"Flora, we have to run," Eric said, grabbing my arm. I looked at him, then over at the woman. She was moving towards one of the support ropes.

"Time to be rid of you," she said, pulling out a knife. I spun around, running towards the other end of the bridge, Eric right behind me. I could almost feel the vibrations in the bridge as Hertz sawed away at rope.

 _SNAP!_

The bridge lurched to the side, and I nearly fell. Eric grabbed me, keeping me upright. We were ten meters from the end of the bridge.

 _CRUNCH!_

Time seemed to slow. I looked back to see the second support post break, unable to support the weight of the bridge on it's own.

The wood planks disappeared from beneath our feet. I saw Alfendi watching us, the focus in his eyes mingled with…

"Wait!" I gasped. Eric dove forward, grabbing me around me around my waist with one arm, and the bridge with the other. I gripped his shirt, and time returned to normal speed as we swung quickly, directly towards the cliff face, hanging off the now ruined bridge. A scream ripped itself from my throat.

At the last minute, Eric twisted us around, and he slammed into the cliff at full force with a dull thud, and a cry of pain. I felt the shock of the impact through his body, and he nearly let go of the bridge. I moved my hands from his shirt to the bridge on either side of him, trying to support both of our weights.

"Eric!?" I gasped frantically. He groaned, dazed from the impact. I tried to think about to the moment of impact. His head was tucked into my hair, but his back had slammed into the wall. I had felt a crunch in his torso.

Eric's fingers slipped from the wood, and suddenly, I was fully supporting both of us. I gasped, gripping the wood tighter and swinging my legs to find footholds between the planks. My arms shook with the strain, but I was able to keep both of us up through adrenaline and sheer force of will.

"Eric, please, snap out of it," I groaned, unsure of how much longer I'd be able to hold out. He didn't answer, and I looked around frantically.

Right next to my right hand was a rope. Taking a chance, I let go of the wood and snatched it. As quickly as I could, I wrapped it around his chest, just below his arms, and tied it, before carefully moving slightly lower so I wasn't holding his entire weight.

When the rope tightened around his chest, he cried out in pain, struggling for a moment before his hands found the wooden planks. He gripped them and pulled himself up slightly, his breaths coming in shuddery gasps.

"E-Eric…" I whimpered. He looked down, his eyes glazed over with pain, but he was alert.

"F-Flora…?" he gasped.

"We have to climb up. I know you're hurt, but we need to get onto solid ground," I said, my voice a lot calmer then I actually felt. He hesitated, before nodding, reaching up first with his left arm and finding a higher hand hold.

He pulled himself up using his left arm and feet.

Then he stretched up with his right arm, pulled, and cried out again, nearly loosing his grip.

"Eric…?" I breathed.

"Ugh… my ribs… they're on fire…" he groaned. I bit my lip.

 _A broken rib. Maybe more then one…_ I thought. "What should we—" before I could finished my question, he was already moving forward, groaning whenever he had to stretch his right side, but fighting through it.

Pain at seeing him hurt mingled with admiration that he was fighting through the pain. Shaking my head, I followed him, using the ruined bridge as a ladder.

We finally reached the top. Eric crawled a little away from the edge before throwing up, having reached and pushed well beyond his pain threshold. I quickly ran over to him, kneeling next to him.

Finally getting it all out of his system, he rolled onto his back, a groan forcing it's way out. I bit my lip, carefully pushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"We have to find somewhere to set up camp so I can treat you," I said softly. He groaned once more, but didn't fight when I took his left arm and carefully pulled him to his feet. Supporting half his weight, I looked around.

We were on the other side of the Ravine. Alfendi and Hertz were gone. Nothing but trees stretched out in front of us, with the ravine at our backs.

With a sigh, I pushed forward.

"Just a minor setback…" I said softly.

"Heh," Eric puffed, wincing slightly. I sighed, noticing the sun sinking over the tops of the trees.

Tonight was going to be a long night…

…

 **A/N:** Research on injured ribs, yay! Haha. Poor Eric. He goes through so much in these stories. It makes it interesting, though, hehe.

Don't worry, I'm pretty sure he won't in City of Gold… of course… that's not outlined yet, so who knows, heh.

ONWARDS to the next chapter!


	6. Regroup

**A/N:** THERE WILL BE A NEW PROFESSOR LAYTON GAME! I REPEAT, A NEW PROFESSOR LAYTON GAME! It'll be called _Lady Layton_.

I am so friggin' excited. I've basically written fanfiction for it… heh.

So… yeah. Sorry for vanishing off the face of the earth for a week? Week and a half? However long it was. Here we go!

…

Chapter Six: Regroup

I finally found somewhere to set up camp. Carefully setting Eric down, I pulled out the camping gear we had bought: A small, two-man tent, and a fire starter. The tent was easy enough to set up, and I quickly collected firewood, making a small fire to keep us warm and cook food.

I then turned to Eric.

"Well, let's see those ribs," I said, helping him sit up and pull his shirt off.

His right side was purple with deep bruising. I winced at how painful it looked, before focusing on his back. There were a few bruises, but after running my fingers along his spine, I realized the bruises was the extent of his back injuries. I checked a few other places first, before returning to his right side.

"Tell me when it hurts," I said. He nodded, and I carefully placed my hands on his side, gently running them over his ribs. The third one from the top was swollen, the skin hot to the touch. He hissed in pain as soon as my hand ran over it.

"There," he grunted. I nodded.

"Okay," I said softly, quickly checking everywhere else. Thankfully, it was just the one. I carefully felt the rib again, making sure nothing shifted to my touch, muttering apologies each time he made a painful noise.

"Just cracked," I sighed in relief, pulling my hands away and opening the first aid kit I had pulled from my bag. "Here, I have a disposable ice pack." I squeezed it until the chemicals inside activaed, and shook it. As soon as it started to feel cold in my hands, I gently laid it on his side, using a bandage to loosely tie it in place. I then pushed his bangs out of his eyes.

"How you feeling?" I asked.

"Still hurts…" he admitted in a low voice. "Especially to breath…" I nodded, pulling a bottle of ibuprofen from my bag.

"Pain killers. You need rest, and these will help," I explained at his questioning look. He let out a shallow sigh, but took the two pills I handed him, washing them down with a swig from our canteen. I carefully helped him lay back down and watched as the painkillers took effect, and he fell asleep.

A worried sigh escaped me as I pushed his bangs out of his eyes again, kissing his forehead. I knew, under normal circumstances, it would take about six weeks for him to heal.

We didn't have six weeks.

Another sigh escaped me, and I curled up next to Eric, watching him sleep.

…

"Flora?" Eric mumbled groggily, cutting into my light sleep. I was instantly alert.

"Hm?"

"Have you… you've still studied the cities, haven't you? Even after we decided to stop…" he asked. Guilt stabbed at my chest.

"Wh-what would give you that idea?" I asked, a little too quickly. He let out a week chuckled.

"Your knowledge on them, when we first got here," he said. I noticed his voice was a little clearer then earlier. The pain killers must still be working then.

"Yes…" I admitted. He looked up at me.

"And? What are your theories?" he asked. I chuckled.

"Well, we know Bronze housed the Chalice of Youth, and Silver has the Staff of Wisdom," I started. He nodded, lacing his fingers with mine. I smiled warmly at him in the dim light of the dying fire and the moon. "That makes Bronze Youth, and Silver Wisdom."

"And Gold?" he asked.

"Power. Youth, Wisdom, and Power. Each represent three of the things many people chase, or fight over," I explained.

"There's money too," Eric reminded me.

"Well, all three represent that, what with buildings made out of precious metals," I countered, and we both chuckled. I then shook my head.

"The only thing I can think is that these cities were created by the Azran. They date back to at least then, and are very sophisticated. And if a powerful Azran artifact is in the City of Gold, well… we have to get to it before Hertz," I explained.

"There's just one issue with that theory," Eric said sleepily.

"What's that?" I asked, softening my voice.

"The ruins on the stele into the City of Bronze? They weren't Azran…" Eric's voice drifted as he fell asleep, but I was awake for a few hours later, thinking over everything I've learned about the Azran these cities.

 _Why… he's right!_

…

 **A/N:** Okay, so… short chapter. I'll go ahead and post chapter seven then, heh. I owe you all that much…

And disposable icepacks are a real thing. I have about three in my hiking first aid kit, just in case!


	7. Discoveries

**A/N:** And another! Only because the last chapter was short and not much happened in it…

...

Chapter Seven: Discoveries

The next morning, after putting a new icepack on Eric's side and eating breakfast, the two of us began a slow track back to the city, following the ravine, and the flow of the river at the bottom of said ravine. Every few hours, we had to rest for Eric's sake, especially when the painkillers wore off, but it would still too early to take the next dose.

"Are you okay? Do you need water? Food? I—"

"Flora! Please, stop fretting over me so much, my Flower," Eric said, cutting off my tirade as he caught my hand from where he was sitting. "I'm alright. I just need to rest. Fifteen minutes, tops," he said. I sighed, sitting down next to him.

This was the fifth time we'd stop.

"How's the icepack?" I suddenly asked after a few moments of silence.

"Well… it is kind of warm now," he admitted. I immediately pulled out a new one (my last one: I only packed three), activated it, and tied it to his side again. He shivered, a burst of goose bumps erupting all over his skin, and I couldn't help but laugh, brushing my lips against the bumps on his shoulder.

"Better?" I asked.

"Better," he confirmed, nuzzling my neck. As he pulled back, he froze. "What's that?" he asked, looking over my shoulder. I turned, realizing he was facing the ravine, and spotted what he saw.

Down at the bottom of the cliff wall was a dark hole with something reflecting sunlight, right in the entrance.

"I don't know…" I said softly. Eric slowly stood, a hand to his side.

"We should check it out," he said.

"Are you sure? We can't exactly climb down. Not with… your condition," I said. He waved it away.

"We don't have to," he said, pointing to something else I didn't notice right away.

There was narrow path that lead to the bottom of the ravine, which was now only about forty feet below us. I looked at him.

"I don't know, Eric. We need to get you medical attention," I said. Eric hesitated, looking at me.

"I-I know, but… what if that's a clue to the City of Silver? We can't exactly pass that up," he said.

"Eric—"

"I promise, this isn't about glory or excitement or the discovery or whatever, my Flower," he said, putting his hands on my shoulders. "This is about finding Alfendi."

That bought my attention back to the original reason we were here. I was ashamed of the fact that I was so worried about Eric's well being, that I totally forgot about Alfendi. I lowered my head, looking around the ground. Eric put his hands on both of my cheeks, lifting my head again.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up," he said softly, kissing my forehead. "Let's just get down there, okay?"

"Alright," I said softly. Gripping his hand, we made out way down the path carefully, until we reached the bank of the river… if it could be called that. It was only about two feet wide, and very shallow. Eric and I easily crossed it, and were soon standing at the entrance of a cave.

Just inside the entrance, reflecting the sunlight streaming into the cave entrance, was a silver sword. It was beautifully intricate, and the blade itself was wickedly sharp.

"Wow…" Eric breathed, moving closer to inspect it. I nodded.

"Wow is right. It's beautiful," I said.

"And… it's pure silver," he said.

"What?"

"Yeah."

I looked around, studying the cave. Against the back wall was a large, silver carving. I walked over, studying it.

"Hey, is that a puzzle?" Eric asked, pointing to the middle section. I looked at it closer, before smiling.

"It is. It's one of those slider puzzles, actually," I said, brushing my fingers over it.

"Can I try it?" Eric asked. I chuckled, stepping back.

"Sure."

Five minutes later, and some muttering from Eric, the wall clicked, and a door opened. Both Eric and I gasped.

"You don't think…" I breathed.

"I do…" he said.

"The entrance to the City of Silver…"

…

 **A/N:** Aaaaaaaaand…. Another chapter where much doesn't happen. Okay, one more chapter tonight! The next one, a lot happens, promise! Well, I think. It starts out exciting, okay? I'll go get that one now… heh…


	8. The Staff of Wisdom

**A/N:** Last chapter here for the night! …Maybe. Depends on how mean I feel like being with the cliffhanger… MWAHAHAHA.

Ahem. I mean… _Tee hee_.

ONWARD!

…

Chapter Eight: The Staff of Wisdom

"So, you're still alive," a voice suddenly said from behind. Both Eric and I jumped, turning. My heart sank.

It was Hertz. Next to her, stood Alfendi, holding the sword we had seen at the entrance of the cave. His eyes still held that look of overbearing concentration.

"We won't die that easily," Eric snarled.

"Hmph," she huffed, staring him down, perhaps remembering the first time she tried to kill him, that time by pushing him off the roof of an incredibly high tower. She then turned her attention to the now open door, just beyond us.

"And yet again, you managed to beat me to the entrance to the city," she snapped. She then looked at Alfendi.

"If they so much as step out of line, or disobey one of my commands, kill them," she said.

"Yes," Alfendi answered in a monotonous voice. I shivered slightly at that, before looking at the woman.

"Lead the way," she said. With a sigh, I turned back to the door. The path immediately sloped downwards, and Eric, injured as he was, didn't have full balance. I took his arm and helped him down.

When we reached the bottom, I couldn't help but gasp in surprise. The buildings spiraled upwards towards the roof of the large cavern. Unlike the City of Bronze, which had luminous fungi on the ceiling, the light had a watery quality to it as it filtered down from the lake above. I studied it, surprised.

The entire city was under a transparent dome, underneath a huge lake.

Along the main road, leading to the palace, rivers ran on either side. Washed up on the banks of these rivers were different silver artifacts, ancient items mingling with modern ones.

"Part of the festival is that the people of Caneopa throw something silver into the lake, as thanks for their wealth," Eric breathed, slowing slightly to inspect something. Alfendi gently prodded him with the sword, reminding him to keep moving forward.

"So, what. We're going to the palace?" I asked, glancing back at the woman.

"Yes," Hertz said, staring forward.

"Heh. I remember the last time you forced me to the palace…" I muttered. Hertz must have heard me.

"This time will be different," she growled.

"Oh? How so?" I asked.

"Because this time, I have your little brother under my command, holding a sword to your back," she replied. I frowned, glancing over at Alfendi. He continued to watch between Eric and I, the sword held comfortably in his hand.

Suddenly, Eric groaned, grasping at his side. That's when I remembered the painkillers had worn off before we took our first break. I quickly looked over, seeing the pain in his eyes just before he covered it up.

"Eric?" I asked.

"I'm fine," he replied, his voice tight. I bit the inside of my cheek, watching him as we walked, until suddenly, he stumbled, falling to his knees. I dropped down next to him.

"Eric!? Hey, it's probably okay if you take—"

"Get up!" Hertz snarled.

"His rib is cracked," I snapped at her. "Let him take some painkillers and a short break, then we'll continue." I reached into my bag, and she grabbed my arm, yanking my up. The ibuprofen I had in my hand rolled across the street… and into the water.

"I said get up. Now," she growled.

"No," I said, yanking my arm away from her and hoping, beyond hope, I had some other kind of painkillers in my bag.

"Alfendi," Hertz said, before I had the chance to look. I looked up at Al as he walked forward, raising the sword above his head for an overhead downward stroke. My eyes suddenly latched on to an artifact not too far from my right hand. I quickly snatched it up and brought it into a blocking position, just as Alfendi swung his sword down, locking his blade against the blade of my own silver sword.

I quickly surged up while Alfendi was off guard and off balance, pushing him back. With our blades still locked, I gave a deft twist of my wrist, attempting to disarm him.

I'm happy I managed to convince the professor to teach me how to fence. I just wish he had waited before doing the same with Alfendi. He easily countered the disarming method, and I nearly lost my own sword.

The two of us fought, our swords glancing off of the other's. I was trying to disarm Alfendi. He was possibly trying to kill us. I ducked under one of his horizontal attacks before quickly rising within his guard, ready to bring the ornate hilt of my sword down on the indent of Alfendi's right arm, another disarming technique. Alfendi anticipated it though, and rammed his shoulder into my chest, throwing me back and off balance. As I stumbled back, Alfendi leapt forward, the blade of his sword snaking around mine and wrenching it from my hand, flinging it away. His shoulder connected with my chest again, and I slammed into the ground on my back, winded.

"Flora!" Eric cried, just as Alfendi appeared above me, the point of his sword at my throat.

It wavered slightly.

 _Wait a minute…_

"That's enough, Alfendi," Hertz said, appearing next to him. "I have plans for her." Alfendi took a step back, moving the sword away from me, and Hertz hauled me to my feet by the collar of my shirt.

"That was just a warning, girl. Pull any more stupid stunts, and it'll be the boy who gets it," she snarled, pointing at Eric. I looked over at him, where he still had his arm wrapped around his torso, holding his right side.

"Please, he's in pain," I said softly. Hertz gave me a shake before tossing me back.

"Tough. He'll just have to deal with it," she said. With a sigh, I carefully helped him up. He groaned softly, gripping the fabric of my blouse.

"Good try," he mumbled.

"Heh. Thanks," I muttered back, taking half of his weight and helping him forward. We soon reached the palace, an airy, ornate building, and entered.

The walls were covered in drawings and ruins. I studied them, but didn't recognize any from the numerous Azran volumes the Professor owned.

"Guess you were right," I breathed, and Eric gave a breathy chuckle. The four of us continued through the building, until finally, we reached the throne room.

The throne room was about eight stories tall, pillars stretching far above our heads to connect to the vaulted ceiling. It stretched before us, large enough to fit a few hundred people, with the throne sitting at the head of the room on a raised dais.

Next to the throne stood a silver rod, ornately decorated with amethyst gems on the top and intricately carved along the length of the staff.

"The Staff of Wisdom…" Hertz breathed, before nudging us forward. We walked along a plush, purple rug running the length of the room in the center, until finally, we stood at the foot of the dais.

"Alfendi, take Eric from Flora," Hertz commanded. Alfendi stepped forward, grabbing Eric's arm, and yanking him from me. Eric gasped in pain, staggering, and gripping Alfendi's shoulder to keep from falling.

"Careful! He's hurt!" I snapped, stepping forward. Alfendi leveled the sword with my chest, forcing me to stop.

"Flora, go get the Staff for me," Hertz said. I frowned.

"Why should I?" I demanded. The sword point moved closer to my heart, and I backed off. "Never mind," I muttered, before making my way up the steps of the dais. I studied the staff for a moment – it was beautiful – before taking it, carefully lifting it from its stand.

The sound of moving, ancient machinery filled the air, and the dais jerked, throwing me off balance.

Suddenly, from each side of the dais, bars shot into the air, forming a cage around me and trapping me on the platform.

"H-hey!" I gasped.

"I knew this one was booby-trapped," Hertz said with a smirk, before walking up to the bars. "Now then, give me the Staff, Flora."

I hesitated. If I gave her the Staff of Wisdom, she would have everything she needs to enter the City of Gold.

But if I didn't give her the Staff, she would make Alfendi hurt Eric.

I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Neither option was a good one. After all, who knew what the City of Gold contained?

"I'll take your silence as a refusal," Hertz said darkly, before turning to Alfendi.

"Kill him," she said, pointing at Eric.

…

 **A/N:** And here's the answer to everyone who wondered if the Professor gave in to teaching Flora how to fence.

Yes, yes he did. And she took to it like a moth to flame. Just not… as well as Alfendi did, because let's face it…

Also, I combined chapters eight and nine, because both were pretty short. Aaaaand… that's as far as I had back written. Now, I guess I should go to bed for work tomorrow. Ugh…


	9. The Two Keys

**A/N:** I have returned! Hopefully this chapter will be as exciting as I hope it to be. It should be, considering this is the climax… only two more chapters after this one!

Well, enough talking. Review Replies!

 **Melody:** It happens, though I'm unsure of which of my readers you are, haha (if you HAVE read and reviewed before, that is…) Thanks for reading! You'll see what happens now!

Now, ONWARD!

…

Chapter Nine: The Two Keys

"Kill him," Hertz commanded of Alfendi, pointing at Eric. My heart dropped in the general direction of my feet as I watched Alfendi step away from Eric. Eric staggered slightly at the sudden lack of support, hissing softly at his side, before looking up at the teen. Alfendi turned to face Eric, raised his sword…

…And suddenly spun around, taking a slash at Hertz, who gasped in surprise, jumping back just in time to avoid the blade.

"What…?" Eric asked in confusion.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Hertz demanded, glaring at Alfendi, who's amber eyes were burning with anger and hatred.

"This is as far as this goes, Hertz," he snarled. The woman scowled at the boy, but retreated.

"No matter. I still have the Chalice of Youth," she spat at us, before turning and running. I darted over to the bars closest to the boys.

"Alfendi!" I gasped in relief. "You broke her control?"

"Ha. Right," Alfendi snorted, laying the sword down and coming over to the cage I was trapped in. "It was an act, Flora. I thought you were smart enough to realize that much," he said. I tipped my head in surprise, confused.

"It… was a convincing act," I said, catching the amused smirk that flashed across Alfendi's face before he lowered his head, inspecting the lock and shaking his head.

"A puzzle lock," he muttered, getting to work on it, before glancing up at me. "Didn't you see all the clues I left for you? Not to mention how much I held back when we fought." There was a click as he finished the puzzle. "You're getting rusty by the way," he added with a smirk.

"I didn't want to hurt you," I said, before throwing my arms around the boy. "But I'm so happy you're okay!"

"Ack! Flora! Get off!" Alfendi yelled, his arms flailing as he tried to push me away. I didn't let go for a few more minutes though. "Flora!" he groaned again. I laughed and finally stepped back.

"So, that's the Staff of Wisdom," Eric said, moving closer to study the silver rod I still held in my hand. Alfendi, once straightening his jacket, also turned an interested eye to it. I nodded, looking down at it as well. We were quiet for a few minutes, before Eric looked at me.

"Well, do you feel any smarter?" he asked. I chuckled softly, before growing serious.

"No, but we should definitely return to Caneopa. Ten to one, that's where Hertz is headed. And… who knows what she'll do once she gets there," I said. Both boys nodded in determination, and we began to make our way out of The City of Silver.

…

The return trip still took a while, thanks to Eric. It's not like he purposely went slow, but without any pain medicine (the bottle in the river, thanks to Hertz, was the only one I had), he really couldn't help it.

When we did return, however, we found everyone in the center square. The festival was underway, and everyone was gathered for the show…

…except that it was Hertz on stage. Alfendi suddenly whipped the front of his shirt up over his mouth and nose.

"Don't breathe the powder in!" he said, pointing up. I looked up, noticing a fine, white powder drifting down over the crowd. Eric did as well, and we followed Alfendi's lead.

As it reached the heads of the crowd… Hertz began to sing. I felt my focus begin to narrow in on the sound, but fought it.

Unfortunately, everyone who breathed in the powder, which I now knew, without a doubt, was spread by Hertz, turned towards the woman on stage, focusing solely on her. She smirked, her eyes sweeping over the crowd… until she spotted us.

"Get the staff!" she yelled, pointing towards the Staff of Wisdom I still clutched. Everyone turned in our direction, and Alfendi suddenly snatched the staff from me.

"Get the Chalice!" he yelled, before taking off through the streets of Caneopa. I nodded after him, before looking at Eric.

"Call Scotland Yard," I told him, before quickly making my way towards the stage. The powder had settled by now, allowing me to breathe freely. I climbed up onto the stage, noticing that it was set up for a show that included some sort of battle.

"You," Hertz spat, narrowing her eyes at me.

 _A true English Lady prefers her wits over her brawn,_ I thought, remembering the words of the Professor. "Roma Hertz," I said, taking a deep, steadying breath. "I challenge you to a puzzle duel!"

"Interesting," Hertz mumbled, walking towards me. She stopped just for a moment, picking up one of the swords, which, with dread, I realized were real. "But I think I'll pass!" She suddenly swung the sword at me in a wild backhand swing. I rolled out of the way and towards the other swords, grabbing one and turning to face the woman, who had turned and was coming at me again.

Her footwork and blade work were clumsy. It didn't take a genius to see that she had no training with the blade. I stood my ground, easily parrying most of the blows, swaying out of the way of others. I hoped she would realize she was outclassed and would back off.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and I was forced to start pressing forward. She gasped softly as I took a step forward and thrusted the blade at her, but the woman managed to twist out of the way of the sword. I narrowed my eyes, noticing she was off balance, and pressed my advantage. There were many times where I could have easily skewered her, but that wasn't my goal.

She continued to back up, her eyes growing wide with surprise, until finally, I managed to land one good blow with the flat of my blade against her temple. She collapsed, stunned. I knelt next to her and quickly searched her bag until I found what I was looking for: the Chalice of Youth and the Book of Hypnotic Songs. I then turned to the front of the stage, seeing Alfendi race across the square, carrying the Staff. Behind him followed most of the hypnotized town.

Taking a deep breath, I began to sing the song that I had burned into my memory so many years ago in Seacreast. The song that would break the hypnotic hold Hertz held over the town.

Thankfully, it worked. The townspeople slowed to a halt, mostly looking confused. Alfendi didn't notice, however, and disappeared down another road on the other side of the square. I smiled, shaking my head, knowing he would notice soon enough.

I suddenly noticed a shuffling sound from behind. As I turned, blinding pain seared through my head, originating from just above my right ear.

The world faded to black.

…

 **A/N:** Yeah…. So that happened!

I'm actually kind of happy Wolfiered23, for once, didn't see the plot twist with Alfendi coming, since they _always_ guess the plot twists in my story! Well, I think I'll just go ahead and finish this one before continuing with my other story on my other account ( _Ace Attorney: Apollo Gramarye_ ). The next two chapters are quite short, to be honest… heh.


	10. The City of Gold

**A/N:** You all will hate me for this. And I don't care.

I decided to nix the Epilogue, by the way, so this is the last chapter of City of Silver!

 **Review Reply to Melody:** Oh. Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy my stories! That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, hehe! I hope I don't disappoint!

ONWARD!

…

Chapter Ten: The City of Gold

The first thing I noticed was the throbbing pain in my head, originating from just above my right ear.

The second thing I noticed was that I couldn't move.

Opening my eyes, I found that my arms tied tightly (and a little painfully), behind my back. Ropes wound around my ankles tightly, keeping my feet immobile as well, and cloth was packed into my mouth, stifling any noise I could possible make.

I also seemed to be packed into a trunk of some kind. I was surrounded by darkness in a tiny space.

It was disorienting, and for a moment, I feared that I would run out of air. Twisting this way and that, I spied a small hole in one side, hear the bottom, that was letting in dim light. I breathed a sigh of relief through my nose before pressing my eye against the hole, trying to see where I was.

The top suddenly opened, and I blinked up at the person who was looking down at me.

It was Roma Hertz.

"I see you're awake," she said, her voice soft, yet menacing. I tried to speak through the cloth in my mouth, but not a noise escaped. She smirked.

"You might have bested me with the Cities of Bronze and Silver… but you wont this time." She leaned closer to me, a smirk on her face. "You're bait. Once your brother and boyfriend realize what's happened to you, they'll come running with the Chalice and Staff." She stood up. "But beyond that, I also needed a test subject."

I shivered at her words, scared as to what that could mean.

"Make yourself comfortable, Flora Reinhold. It's going to be a long trip," Hertz said, before closing the trunk lid again. I tried to twist around to kick the lid, but wasn't fast enough before I heard the distinct sound of a lock.

That wasn't the only thing I heard, though.

While the lid was opened, I realized one very important fact.

We were on a train, speeding away from Caneopa. Where to? I had no idea.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

...

 **A/N:** Done! I know, you all probably hate me.

I think the characters I introduce in _City of Gold_ will change your mind.

Guest Reviews will be replied to in the first chapter of _City of Gold._

Well, ta till then!


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